I purchased my jackson about 3 weeks ago and took him home in a medium sized aquarium. After research on jackson's, I soon realized the need for a larger screen cage so I bought one of those screen cages that is 65 gallons. He seems to enjoy the room but there are some huge problems. The crickets climb in between the pvc pipe that supports the cage and the screen where he can't get to them. I have only observed him eating one cricket every other day where in the aquarium he was eating at least 5 or 6. I have introduced moths and beetles as well as superworms but they don't seem to interest him. To make matters worse the screen pulls out his claws. He is now missing 2 claws on both of his back feet. To remedy this I put up hardware cloth all around the cage but now this makes the insect problem worse. They climb inbetween the hardware cloth and the screen where he can see them but can't get to them. Any tips as to how to keep my jackson's fed as well as keeping his feet healthy?
Thanks
JC
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Jackson's Food and enclosure difficulty
Replies (2)
Coated hardware cloth is the best thing for chameleons' feet. Unfortunately it doesn't contain the crickets - I cup-feed or handfeed mine. The other alternative is replacing the original screen (I'm assuming it's metal window screen?) with nylon mesh. Gotta be careful not to melt that with the heat lamps, though.
I use the ESU Fresh Air Habitats with great results. They can climb on it easily and there's no place for the crickets to get stuck. The only issue is that I'm 99% sure they don't come nearly as large as 65gal. On that note, that must be one freakin' happy Jackson to have that much space. I can't upgrade till I have more space myself, lol! Anyway, you mentioned pulled claws; you took him to the vet for that, right? I haven't personally had that problem, but I've heard that it needs immediate attention to prevent infection and further complications. A Jackson's cham book I have says to immediately wash the are with soap and water and dust with an antibiotic powder, but I would consult with a vet also to be sure that it's taken care of properly.
Just my 2 cents!
~Tiff
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"Were the diver to think upon the jaws of the shark, he would never lay hands on the precious pearl."
